Family
Smith is the son of the late Derek Smith, a former swingman of nine-year NBA and University of Louisville fame. The elder Smith was a starting forward on Louisville's 1980 NCAA championship team. He also played for the Cardinals in the 1982 Final Four. He was a second-round draft choice of the Golden State Warriors in 1982 and went on to play for the San Diego and Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics before retiring in 1991. His career ended prematurely due to knee problems.
Nolan Smith's father died when he was eight years old, of a heart attack at age 34 while they were on a cruise ship near Bermuda. Nolan said: "I thought he was going to sleep. I saw him from far away when it happened. I got closer, and I saw them close his eyes."
Smith has a tattoo on his right arm, with his father's likeness and the words: "Forever Watching." He said: "When I take the court, I look down at my tattoo. ... I know he's always with me, every game."
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Famous quotes containing the word family:
“We have a great deal more kindness than is ever spoken. Maugre all the selfishness that chills like east winds the world, the whole human family is bathed with an element of love like a fine ether.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The seven deadly sins: Want of money, bad health, bad temper, chastity, family ties, knowing that you know things, and believing in the Christian religion.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)
“Because it’s not only that a child is inseparable from the family in which he lives, but that the lives of families are determined by the community in which they live and the cultural tradition from which they come.”
—Bernice Weissbourd (20th century)